I deserve more
by lum0smylife
Summary: Madge has had enough of Gale's antics. She needs to breathe and take some time off. And in Madge's books, taking time off means fighting for the rebels in District 2, far away from a hurt Gale. AU
1. Chapter 1

"Look what _I_ managed to sneak in, from the kitchens," Gale said, a grin on his face, a basket in his hands, and a whole load of 'thanks' he was expecting to get.

The smile on his face instantly dropped when he entered Madge Undersee's room. "Madge?" he called, his eyes roaming her room, trying to find her. The blonde was sitting in the corner of her couch, the lights off, her eyes on the ground and a suitcase in her hands. Gale turned the light on and pushed the basket of strawberries onto the counter. "Madge?"

Madge stood up, her eyes watering and looking at everywhere, _but_ him.

"What's wrong?" Gale asked, panic causing him to hover beside the counter. Madge took a deep breath and willed herself to look at him.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to District 2," she announced, her voice watery and full of air.

"WHAT? Why?!" Gale yelled, striding over to her, grasping onto her hands. Madge bit down on her lip, her brows furrowing as she tried not to cry.

"You _know_ why," she hissed.

Gale did know why, but it didn't make him worry less.

"If this is about me and Katniss, I _told_ you. I _told_ you how I feel and I told you that I can't decide right now and that I'm figuring it out-"

"You're figuring it out?!" Madge yelled, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're figuring out _what_ , _Gale_? You spend your time dancing between the two of us all the fucking time and I've had enough."

She can see her words ring Gale's ears. She can see the pain and hurt clouding his dark grey eyes. His lip trembles and a second passes before he pulls her into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He knows he can't change her mind. He knows he's hurt her too much. He's gone too far.

For a second Madge let's herself break. Let's herself crumble against him; dampening his shirt.

"I love you," Madge whispered, her voice taught against her throat. "And I'm sorry." The words barely make it out of her, before she presses down her lips, holding back a sob.

She can feel Gale tremble too, his arms wrapping round her tighter into the hug. He doesn't want this to happen. Neither does she. But Madge realises it's now or never. Otherwise she's left hanging over a boy with feelings for another girl.

"I know that once upon a time you loved me back," she sighs, practically feeling the pain and inner conflict radiate off of him. She can feel him rest his cheek on top of her head, shaking his head, trying to stop her.

" _Madge ple-"_ Gale whispers, his voice warbling.

Madge shakes her head and pushes back the crumpled piece of his shirt she's got wrapped in her fist. She takes a sharp inhalation and looks up at him. Facing the pained expression that's caused blotches of red simmer through his skin. She knows the feeling all too well.

"I deserve better," she whispers. "I deserve someone who doesn't _need_ to choose," she watches as Gale takes a step back; absorbing the information. His hand drags over his face, trying to wipe off the exhaustion and waves of emotions. "With you it was always me or her. And I'm tired of that."

"What do you want me to say?" he croaks, his eyes ashamed, falling down to her hands.

"I want you to say I'm sorry for hurting you. I want you to say I'm sorry for leaving you the second I got my best friend back. I'm sorry for running back to you the second the Capitol took her. I'm sorry for using you like a fucking shelf, there to carry your feelings only when you needed me. I'm sorry for saying you have feelings for me and then kissing another girl. I am _sorry_ for keeping you stuck in this constant game of hide and seek!"

Madge's words bounce off the walls and it whacks Gale in the chest. He looks up at the ceiling, swallowing down the phlegm that clogs his throat. The underground lights of District 13 form a yellow-y hue over his eyes, causing Madge to notice the tears that well up in them.

"I'm tired of being someone's backup plan. I _deserve_ more."

Gale bites down on his lips, nodding a little. She can see the crinkle between Gale's brows form. He looks tired, overwhelmed and helpless.

"Thank you for saving my life," she said. "I truly owe you for that."

With a nod of thanks, she picks up her bags and looks up at him, firm in the eye.

"Madge," he pleads, his hand reaching out towards her wrist. She dodges it and moves away.

"Goodbye Gale Hawthorne," she says, this time her voice firm and steady.

"Madge!" Gale yells, his voice growing louder as she turns her back and walks towards the door. "Madge! Please!"

The door closes behind her.

And just like that Gale Hawthorne watches the girl with the strawberries walk out of his life. Hopping onto a hovercraft to District 2.

Speechless and overwhelmed, he slumps over the counter, his head falling into his hands.

She's gone.

Madge Undersee is gone.

And it's all his fault.


	2. Chapter 2

Madge carried on walking. Walking past Gale. Walking past her room door. Walking past the elevator doors. Walking past the civilians of District 13. Walking past everything that was holding her back.

She had been doing everything in her power to hold it together. She had been biting down on her lips and swallowing down the phlegm. _'Chin up. Put on a brave face. Don't let them ever see you in pain,'_ her father would say to her.

So the second she stepped foot onto the hovercraft, she broke.

Madge threw her bags onto the floor, with her body collapsing straight into a seat, her face following suit, straight into her hands. Her hands were trembling violently as she tried to muffle her sobs. Except she couldn't. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She couldn't hold back the pain of betrayal. The feeling of being used and thrown about like a toy.

She had let Gale Hawthorne into her life. Her perfectly planned life. Her life where she would con her way through the civilians of the Capitol and put on the act of the 'sweet, little mayor's daughter.' She _wasn't supposed_ to fall in love with Gale Hawthorne. She wasn't supposed to feel _anything_. She wasn't supposed to feel the pain of having trusted someone who had helped her so much, who had helped her piece her life together, only to knock it back down.

Madge cowered in her seat; sobs wracking her body. Short hisses of sobs rang in her ears. She hated hearing herself cry. She hated knowing that she couldn't control herself in situations like these. Her entire being collapsed, her hair falling messily over her face, getting caught between the crossfire of tears and snot. She needed to get it all out. She needed to do that.

Leaving Gale was her decision. It had to be done. She had to get away.

Madge sat up straight. The echoes of footsteps making their way towards the hovercraft could be heard. She pulled her hair back from her face and wiped snot off of her face using her sleeve. Madge wiped the final remnants of her tears under her eyes and took a sharp breath, recomposing herself as she turned to face Haymitch Abernathy.

"Hey sweetheart," he sighed, his cautious tone softening his voice. He looked at her hesitantly, hovering over the side of the hovercraft. Madge knew her face was probably pulsing red and her eyes swollen up twice the size they were this morning.

"I'm taking that things didn't go so well." Haymitch muttered as he slowly moved towards her, making sure she didn't feel overwhelmed or claustrophobic.

Madge glanced at him and returned her gaze towards the ground. She took a sharp inhalation and gave a short nod. "I'm fine," she whispered, giving him a not so convincing smile.

Haymitch took the seat next to Madge, and pulled her into a hug. "You know I hate him right?" he said, rubbing the sides of her arms. Madge felt her chin wobble, which caused her to bite down on her lip and nod. Yep. She knew. She knew Haymitch hated him, but she wasn't so sure she was on the same level.

Madge rested her head against Haymitch's shoulder and closed her eyes, letting herself to be comforted and reassured for a while. She needed it. Over the past couple of months Haymitch had become her almost 'guardian'; automatically taking on the role after the death of her parents. Something about 'repaying the favour' and 'your parents were friends of mine' though Madge never recalled him visiting them.

She heard a couple more footsteps march towards the hovercraft.

Her team.

Madge sighed and pulled away from Haymitch, she didn't need to look like a child on her first day of school. Haymitch stood up and pulled Madge to her feet.

"Are you sure you want to be doing this?" he asked, grabbing hold of the sides of her face, whilst staring directly into her eyes.

Madge nodded and swallowed down the final remanats of her cries. She had to get a hold of herself now. She had to be everything her father her taught her to be. She was stronger than this. "I'm sure," she said determinedly, returning Haymitch's gaze straight back in the eye.

He let his hands drop and pulled her into a hug. "If you ever need me at any moment, send me a message at base."

"Will do." Madge muttured, her words muffled by his shoulder. Though she knew the possibility of her doing so was rare, since most of the messages from outside District 13 were either censored so the Capitol couldn't understand them, or were lost before they ever reached back.

Haymitch pulled away, keeping hold of her shoulders. "Now you take care of yourself okay? Be careful. Be vigilant. The Capitol have mutts and the bastards from District 2 wouldn't mind feeding you to them."

Madge repressed a shudder and simply nodded. "Take care of Katniss and Peeta," she said, thinking of their broken states. "And _promise me_ that you'll take care of yourself too," Madge insisted. Haymitch smiled and nodded, taking a couple of steps back.

"Cross my heart," he said, winking at Madge as he retreated himself backwards, whilst the members of her team filed in.

Madge kept her eyes plastered on Haymitch as he waved at her, moving away. She mouthed 'bye' and waved at him until he was out of sight. His disappearance made her heart feel heavy in a way that was different to how it had felt moments before. She was going to miss Haymitch. He was the only sort of family she had left.

A loud clang caught Madge's attention, as the doors of the hovercraft shut close. She shuffled back into her seat and connected her seat belt, looking up briefly at the five members of her team.

"So," a young man seated opposite Madge, with his hand raised toward her said. "You must be Madge Undersee?"

Gale slid to the ground, leaning his back against Madge's kitchen counter. What had he done? How could he have possibly have fucked up whatever 'thing' he had with Madge?

Though he wasn't exactly sure what it was that he had with Madge.

She had been there for him when Katniss was dragged into the Games. She had been there for him when Mellark kissed- no, it was Katniss- when Katniss had kissed Mellark. She had been there for him when they were both reaped again for the Quarter Quell. She had been there for him every step of the way from the bombings of District 12 to life in District 13.

And he had used her.

No, used her wasn't exactly the right term. He hadn't been using her. There was something else. Something far more intimate than what he had with Katniss. Something he had hoped to have with Katniss, but had with Madge instead. Katniss was still in the equation; but so was Madge.

Gale growled under his breath, running his hands through his hair. This was all so confusing. _'I want you to say I'm sorry for using you like a fucking shelf, there to carry your feelings only when you needed me.'_ Gale doubled over, the impact of her words leaving him heaving for breath. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he panted, digging his fingers into the sides of his head. "A thousand times I'm sorry." He muttered the words over and over again, through sharp hisses. He had never meant to cause her so much pain.

" _I deserve someone who doesn't need to choose."_

And Gale knew.

Though it hurt, Gale _knew_ she deserved someone far better. She deserved someone who didn't misuse her feelings. She deserved someone who didn't give her false hope to begin with. She deserved someone who didn't turn away from her the second things got too serious.

The worst part was Gale understood. Gale understood because he had encountered it all with Katniss. She needed him as a security blanket. A back-up plan. And he had done the same with Madge. He had needed Madge to keep the forces that threatened to overwhelm him when things got bad, to balance out. She had been his guide. His security blanket. His back-up plan. And Madge deserved to be so much more than just a back-up plan.

Gale couldn't believe it that it had taken Madge walking out on him, to realise that.

* * *

 **Author's note: Hello all! So after much consideration, I decided to carry on this oneshot (hence the separate fanfic document thingy ma bob.) Anyway, I hope you like it. I'll try to upload every Sunday, and don't forget to let me know what you think ;) Have a lovely day :) xx**


	3. Chapter 3

The following days after Madge had left, Gale was left confused and more absent minded than ever. More and more times he found himself zoning out when Katniss was talking about Capitol strategies or the progression of Joanna, Finnick, Annie and Peeta. More and more times he found himself forgetting the errands his mother would ask him to complete. He'd misplace the salt with the sugar and would end up snapping at Vick and Rory when they'd fight, instead of work to find a solution. He thought exhaustion and pressure would make a good excuse, until his mom whisked him away after all the kids were asleep.

She sat him down with a cup of tea. "I was going to let you come to me first when you were ready to talk, but you're growing increasingly frustrated at yourself, and I want to know why." Hazelle said, frowning as Gale scoffed in response.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he murmured, leaning forward and focusing on his mug.

"Does this have something to do with a certain someone being reunited with a certain friend?" she asked. Gale rolled his eyes and leaned back against his seat.

"If you're talking about Katniss and Peeta, then no. I mean partially yes, but you seem to forget that I volunteered to save his ass and get him back here," he muttered, sounding more arrogant than he wanted to.

"Yes, and I'm proud of you dear for…overcoming your _differences_ ," she said, leaning forward, and examining him. "If it's not them, then does this have anything to do with a certain blonde not coming to visit anymore?"

Gale frowned, his grip around his mug tightening. He didn't want to talk about it. Instead his gaze remained transfixed on his mug as he pursed his lips. Hazelle sighed, her hand reaching over the table to comfort him. "Gale, honey. What happened?"

His eyes didn't leave his mug, as he muttered the words, "She left," instantly pressing down on his lips to prevent any other display of emotion from showing.

"She left? Why?" Hazelle asked, her voice both calm and concerned.

"To go to District 2. To get away from me and my mistakes," he murmured, his voice strained and taut against his throat.

"To get away from you? Why?"

Gale sighed and threw his head back, looking his mother in the eyes. "Because I treated her like an ass, Ma! I didn't treat her right, and she left!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

Hazelle stared at her son for a while, alarmed by his sudden outburst, before returning her gaze to her mug. "Well…" she said, her tone calm and collected. "Was she right in doing that?"

"Of course she was! I was a dick! I couldn't choose! I didn't know how to choose, and all I did was freaking scare her away!"

"And now she's gone and Katniss is looking for a friend for help," she said, meeting Gale's gaze. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know." Gale shrugged, his voice quiet and barely a whisper.

"I'm going to tell you what you're going to do," she said firmly. "You're going to be there for the people that you have left _here_. You're going to be there for _Katniss_ , because good lord has that girl been through grief. You're going to be there for your _family_. You're going to be there to make a better life for your _siblings_. You're going to be there for the _war effort_ , and make sure no one ever has to go through seventy five years of hell again. You're going to be there for _Madge_ , by respecting her decision. And most importantly, you're going to be there for _yourself_. And you're going to try your damn hardest not to guilt yourself for every single mistake you've ever made. _Instead_ , you're going to work towards making a better tomorrow and a better man of yourself."

The words left Gale stunned. He hadn't expected so much from his mother in so little time. Noticing the fire in her eyes and the sheer determination to carry on for a better life; Gale nodded, accepting her words and the fire within him rekindling.

The lights of the hovercraft flared up as Madge grabbed hold of the hand in front of her, shaking it.

"Yeah," she said, frowning at the boy's recognition of her. "How do you know that?"

"You're the core of this mission. It'd be hard not to know who we're protecting and who we're fighting."

Madge frowned, "The core of this mission? You've got this wrong. I signed up to help out with the situation in District 2. Take it over. Convince people to join the rebels."

"And how did you think we were going to do that?" a blonde girl, with her hair tied up asked. "Terrorise them until they accept?" She's seated furthest away from Madge, all clad in her gear. Her eyes are closed and her head rested against the hovercraft, as if she's treating a bad headache. She reminded Madge of her mother.

"I-I don't know. I thought we'd work together as a team," she stuttered, thrown off by all the new people surrounding her.

"No one said we weren't working together as a team," the boy opposite her said. "We're just using you as our top representative."

"Representative?" Madge frowned. "I thought Katniss was doing that with the Mockingjay propos?"

"Katniss _is_ doing that with the Mockingjay propos, but everyone knows District 2 is the hardest District to crack. They were the most loyal to the Capitol during the Dark Days, they'll be our next biggest opponent," the boy replies.

"And with it being the most loyal district you want someone with connections to the government. Someone who was once 'loyal' to them, to convince them." Madge finished, relaxing as the pieces fit together in her mind.

"Look at that. Princess _does_ have a brain," the person beside her stated, causing Madge to frown at his hostility.

"What we're _saying_ Madge, is that you were the most prestigious out of us all," a boy in the corner said, consumed by the shadows.

"Thom?" Madge questioned, squinting her eyes to get a better glance at him. "I didn't know you were joining us."

"Nice to see you too, Undersee" he smirked. "But what I'm trying to say is that you were the most prestigious out of us all, and District 2 is the most prestigious district. You stand on their level. They'll trust you. They'll listen to you."

"And the more people we get on our side, the better chance we have against the Capitol," the boy opposite her finished.

Madge rested back against her seat, chewing on the insides of her cheek as she processed all the new found information. "I thought I was coming here to fight. To protect the people we love. The people we have left."

"You are." Thom reassured her. "You're fighting with words. Public speaking is your strength. C'mon, Madge. I've seen you countless times easily conning your way through the Capitol parties. You're smart and you're witty. You have a tongue and you use it to your advantage. When you talk, people _listen_. Being strong doesn't just mean physical strength, it also consists of emotional and psychological strength. You have your tongue and your words. Use it to get justice."

Madge absorbed Thom's words. He was right. Being the daughter of a politician, she had had plenty of practice manipulating her way through Capitol citizens. District two wouldn't be as hard.

"Besides," the blonde girl called. "Who said you'd be missing out on any of the action?"

"Out on the field we'll have each other's backs," the boy next to her said, looking down at her. "Okay?"

Madge nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Author's note:** I know it doesn't seem like there's going to be much Gadge action going on any time soon, but bear with me. Madge works towards her independence and Gale seeks to amend his mistakes. Things will get better for the duo. Anyway, tell me what you thought of it! I'll be updating every Sunday from now on. Comments are always appreciated!

 **(Psst...you can also find me on tumblr under the url 'biglittlebluebox' )**


	4. Chapter 4

The hovercraft rattled to a stop. Madge felt herself bop up and down, as they landed in District 2. Over the span of their journey, she had learnt their team's name, mission and everyone involved. She was most thankful for Thom and Jake's (the boy who was seated opposite her) presence and their friendly faces. Thom, for sure, she knew she could count on. Jake seemed like someone she could trust, his cheery personality made him instantly lovable. Natalie and Blake seemed harder to thaw (though Natalie looked like she was nursing a migraine more than anything.) Regardless of whether they trusted each other or not, they had no choice but to look out for each other.

"Is everybody okay?" Blake asked, grabbing hold of the bar over his head. A chorus of 'yes' filled the hovercraft. "Alright, first stop is in the outskirts of 2. A village near the Nut. It'll take us a three hour trek. Eyes on the surroundings and each other at all times. Got it?" Again a chorus of 'yes' filled the craft. "Alright, follow my lead. Keep your eye on strawberries here," he said, nodding in Madge's direction. "Let's go."

Madge frowned and hauled her pack on, waiting behind for Thom as everyone filed out. "Strawberries?" she asked, pulling onto the straps of her pack.

Thom squinted his eyes as they were met with the blaring sunlight. "Yeah, sorry that's my fault," he said, pursing his lips apologetically. "We were thinking of a codename for you and I remembered Gale saying something about strawberries being your favourite fruit. Back in the days when you too used to trade."

Madge could feel the air in her lungs squeeze when Gale was mentioned, but she took a sharp inhalation and exhaled deeply. She had left all of that behind when she chose to sign up. "But strawberries? Seriously?" she hissed, falling in step with Thom.

"Would you prefer we call you Princess instead?" Natalie said from behind the pair. Madge turned around to face the blonde and shook her head.

"Strawberries it is then," she mumbled, flashing Thom a glare. She had already faced enough backlash in District 12. Whilst she was fully aware of the privilege she held, she wanted to prove herself useful past it.

On their second hour, Bran had stopped them for the usual check-up, called into the District 13 base and had showed them the direction of where they were going. Madge could slowly feel her energy waver and wiped the sweat from her upper lip. Swinging her pack on her back, she resumed Thom's side, trying to level her breaths.

"What's the deal with him anyway?" she said, eying up the bopping shoulders of Bran, as he led the group with his rifle at his chest, his beady eyes scouring their perimeter.

"Don't know," Thom said, his eyes also falling on the shifting movements of Bran's back. "Apparently he's from eleven."

"Oh." Madge said, nodding to the newfound information.

"Can you two stop gossiping about our team leader and pick up the pace?" Natalie hissed, her mind focused on the agenda at hand. Both, Madge and Thom nodded, quickly shuffling forward awkwardly.

Staring at their surroundings, Madge shielded her eyes from the sunlight. Fresh air filled their lungs, as they walked further into the depth of the woods. It had been so long since she had seen the outdoors. District 13's underground lighting just didn't compare to the feeling of fresh air and sun light peeking through the gaps of deeply shrouded trees.

"Did you ever go to the woods?" Madge asked, glancing at Thom whose freckles appeared more visible in the sunlight. He was a friend of Gale's. Much longer than she had been.

Thom shook his head, keeping his eyes on their surroundings. "What about you?"

"A couple of times," Madge said, finding her footing against a fallen trunk. "Katniss took me a couple of times after the Games. Tried to teach me how to shoot. Gale did too, before, when she was in the Games," she could feel her voice quieten, as the conversation turned into unwanted territory. "Anyway that's a story for another day."

Thom furrowed his brows, looking down at Madge. "Is everything alright with the two of you? How did he react to all of this?"

Madge let out a watery laugh. "How do you think?" she smiled sarcastically. "It's Gale," she sighed, clenching her fists in her pocket. "I made my choice."

"Okay," Thom whispered, biting down on his lip. He looked down at her, meeting her gaze, and Thom nodded almost apologetically, knowing Gale's conflicted feelings. "You're gonna be okay."

"Yeah," Madge sighed, looking ahead at the moving shoulders of Bran and Jake. Her eyes fell to the guns in their arms and the rhythm in their steps. They were trained soldiers. She wasn't a soldier exactly, but she was tired of their oppression. "Helping the revolution one word at a time."

Thom and Madge fell into a comfortable silence, until Bran and Jake slowed down and came to a halt. Moving forward, Madge could see peeks of small stone houses, like little huts; and behind them all was a quarry. District 2. Home of the stone quarries. But these images of prosperity differed a lot from those she would sometimes see in her father's office. The houses in this village were small, crowded together, and a little worn out. Most likely to be one of the poorer villages, being on the outskirts and all. This was good. This was something she could work with.

Madge saw a dark figure shift through the woods, and her hands instantly reached for her rifle. She stopped however, when she saw Bran shake hands with the man, and wave his hand at her, calling her forward. As she moved towards Bran, the man disappeared once again, moving into the village. Turning to face her, Bran sighed and said, "Alright Princess, you're up."


	5. Chapter 5

Gale filed into the drawing room, switching between heavy sighs and pinching the bridge of his nose. Training last night exceeded the amount he had originally aimed for. Turns out his arms and back could become sore after three hours of non-stop archery. That combined with playing with his siblings, had left him exhausted and sleep deprived. After his talk with his mom, he had piled on the training sessions, meet ups with the rest of the team, and sessions with Beetee. Today, happened to be the weekly meeting in Coin's office, which usually consisted of catching up with the progress made by rebel units and what they needed to do next.

Gale stretched his arms behind until he could hear the satisfying 'pop' in his back. Smiling sleepily, he moved towards Katniss, who was seated at the far end of the table, her hands entwined and her eyes staring into the distance. Making progress with Peeta had left her sleepless and in shock.

"You okay Catnip?" Gale whispered, squeezing her shoulder as sat beside her.

"Yeah," she whispered so quietly that he almost missed it. Gale sighed to himself, Katniss was never one for many words, but even she would usually express herself more with him. His eyes flickered to the bruising on her neck; marks left from when Peeta had strangled her. He could only imagine what seeing the person you love try to kill you would feel like. Blonde curls flashed into his mind and he closed his eyes, squeezing the image out of his head.

Reaching over to Katniss's hand, he gave it a light squeeze. "Things are going to be alright in the end. We'll make them alright," he said, staring her dead in the eye. Katniss frowned a little, and nodded, withdrawing her hand from his.

Gale felt something lurch in his stomach, and quickly leaned back in his chair as Heavensbee, Coin, Boggs and Haymitch filed in. He lowered his gaze as Haymitch glared right at him, choosing to lean against the wall opposite them. It had been a week since Madge had left and Gale was pretty sure Haymitch knew her reasons why.

"Alright," Coin said, taking her seat in the middle. "Let's hear what we've got this week."

"Well," Heavensbee boomed, taking a seat opposite her, whilst reading his notes. "Still no word from Unit 632, we suspect the storm in 4 has cut off our ties with them. Beetee's making progress in the development of firearms with the help of firearms. The propos have caused quite a stir, but we're nothing without the aid of Two."

"What happened to the group who were sent to the Nut?" Coin asked, crossing her hands together.

"No reply other than their report the morning of the offense. They're most likely captured or dead."

"Making that the eighth failed attempt to take over the Nut." Boggs added.

"What about the new team sent into two? Unit 342? Could they ambush the Nut?" Coin asked, her gaze flickering between Boggs, Heavensbee and Haymitch.

"With all due respect," Haymitch interrupted. "They're fairly new to this all. I feel like it'd be a suicide mission; it's too advanced for them."

Coin pursed her lips and turned to face Heavensbee. "What's their progress so far?"

"Well they've already had three success in villages on the outskirts of two. That's just after one week." Heavensbee said, turning the pages of his notepad.

Coin's eyes reverted themselves to Haymitch's gaze. "Your girl seems to be having a sparkling impact out there."

Gale could feel a weight drop in his stomach. They were talking about Madge. They had to be. "Well she does take after her parents," Haymitch mumbled. "Good with her words."

"Is she good with combat?" Coin asked, leaning into her crossed hands.

Gale could feel the air squeeze in his lungs as Haymitch stiffened. "No, we had a plan. You made a promise. She was the core of their mission. She is useful to us and can't be put in danger."

"Her safety was out of question from the very beginning, and I made that clear before. This is war. She made a promise to help with the war effort," Coin said, her voice firm and placid. "War doesn't choose favourites, Haymitch."

Gale could see Haymitch's jaw clench, and felt his own mouth dry. He couldn't let Madge walk straight into danger, whether they were friends or not. "Wait," Gale said, interrupting their crossfire. "Just wait," he sighed. His eyes lay on the table as he tried to figure out a way to stall their conversation.

"What if..." he began, stammering for breath. "What if I said I had a plan to disable the Nut without having to lose any rebels?"

"I'd say you're bluffing." Coin said, staring him in the eyes.

"I'm not. Beetee and I have been working on something for a while, and I think we may be able to use it somehow on the Nut. Cut off their resources and you'd cut off a leg. Just trust me on this one. Give me a week, and we'll be done."

Coin squinted her eyes, staring at Gale for a second too long, before saying, "One week. That's all."

"Until then, maybe you could give them another task. Maybe nearby to the Nut. As a backup." Katniss said, glancing sideways at Gale for a second. Gale held his breath as Coin mulled the thought over.

Pursing her lips for a second, she nodded. "Alright. One week and I expect results."

Gale nodded and sighed heavily as they got up and filed out the room. He could feel Haymitch and Katniss's gaze on him, but right now all he needed was some fresh air and space to breathe. Starting his way down the corridor, preparing for his conversation with Beetee, he heard someone call his name.

Turning around, he saw Katniss stand by the doorway of Coin's office.

"Thom's on the mission too. With Madge," she said, holding his gaze.

He could feel his knees wobble and the air get knocked out of his lungs. Don't mess up, was what she was saying. Blinking for a second, Gale pursed his lips and nodded. He wasn't going to fail his friends this time.

* * *

 **A/N: Decided to surprise you all with a quick little update before school starts tomorrow (consider it me making up for being so lazy with updates.) Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. You guys motivate me to write more :***


	6. Chapter 6

Madge bounced onto her bed, adrenaline coursing through her veins and laughter filling her body.

"You were amazing out there today!" Jake said, following her into their hut, courtesy of the village. After a week of sleeping on sleeping bags, the feel of a bed was both foreign and a luxury.

"Thank you," Madge smiled, trying to quell the beaming pride and satisfaction burning her veins. Sitting up, she faced her team as they filed in. Thom gave her shoulder a squeeze and a slight nod. A sign of congratulations. Flopping onto the bed beside her, he sighed as his week-long exhausted body came in contact with the soft springs of the mattress.

"I can't believe that's our fourth win this week." Jake said, awe and amazement filling his eyes. "Told you, you could do it," he said, raising a brow at Madge.

"Actually, I did." Thom interrupted as he slipped his boots off. "Might've done better if you hadn't knocked those logs over and given our position away," he said, with his brows raised.

"Excuse me," Jake said, mocking offense with his hand on his heart. "You're the one who shoved me into them."

"That was an accident." Thom said, pursing his lips. Madge suppressed a smile. If an accident meant staring at the person in front of them, for so long that they walk into them, then sure, it was an _accident_.

A scuffle from the connecting room put an end to all the bickering. Madge frowned, her gaze following the sound of mumbled whispers. Natalie and Bran where in the drawing room, probably reporting back to base. Her stomach lurched at the sound of the radio. She could practically smell the stench of alcohol from Haymitch, and the familiar irritated grumbles he would emit.

"Hey," Thom nudged, drawing her attention to him. "We'll get there soon. Once all of this is over. It'll be a better world."

Madge smiled slightly and nodded, grateful for his comfort. As Jake blew out the lamp, she scuffled under blanket and turned onto her side. Would life ever get better after this? Would all the suffering finally come to an end or would things just get worse?

Exhaling heavily, Madge shifted in her bed, with dreams of twelve looming over her.

* * *

"Miss Undersee is proving to be her father's daughter."

The words sparked Madge's interest, stirring her out of sleep. Seemed to be a woman's voice; light but stern.

"She's already won over four villages." This voice was closer, deeper and louder. It was Bran. "She's definitely educated."

Madge blinked herself awake. Was that a half compliment? Bran had been nothing but guarded and hostile towards her. He undermined and belittled her. It's as if he would much rather do anything, but be on this mission.

Madge stood up and teetered her way towards the drawing room. Hovering beside the doorway, she could just about decipher face of the woman he was speaking to. Coin.

"Then we could use her in the Nut."

Silence made the air thicker for a second. Bran pursed his lips and chose his following words very carefully.

"Every offense in the Nut has failed." A hint of anger scarring his voice.

"If Miss Undersee is as successful as you say she is, then you will not fail." Even through the blurred transmission, Coin's glare pierced through. "You've rallied the outskirts. Now we need to strike at the core."

"I understand that President," Bran said, sitting up straighter in his chair, "but a successful offense in such a heavily militarised place is impossible."

"Then make it possible. You underestimate the power of words, Mr Jordan." Coin ordered, her voice solemn and cold. "I will give you a week to rally up as much support as you can. Then, you will infiltrate the Nut. I have someone here working on another plan, but if you do not hear from me before the weekend, you will follow through your orders."

Madge could see Bran squirm in his seat. "With all due respect, President. It's a suicide miss-"

"Sacrifices have to be made. Do you understand?"

Bran hesitated for a second, before nodding. "I understand."

The transmission disappeared, and Madge was left staring in shock, at the place where it had just been. She could feel the ground shift under her, and the ends of her hairs stand up.

"It is a suicide mission, isn't it?" she said, hailing Bran's attention, as she edged into the room.

"How long have you been there?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Long enough to know that Coin is sending us to our deaths in the Nut!" Madge hissed, striding forward in front of his desk.

"You know about the Nut?" Bran said, surprise rising his brows. "How do you-"

"I'm the mayor's daughter. I've been to the Capitol. I've seen the blueprints. You underestimate my power to sleuth," she said, pulling forward the map and taking a seat opposite him. "This," she said pointing to the far left of the map, "is the meeting rooms. These are only used if the Capitol is under attack, harbour away all those important enough. I've only ever seen it through a transmission after the rebel attack in eight. Their security is intense. It has the Capitol's arsenal, barracks and computer terminals. Their main source of weapon production. If you think the concoctions used to deter in the Games are bad. You've got a whole other thing coming."

Bran stared at the blueprint in front of them. Chewing on his lip, he sighed and rested his chin on his palm. "All of this is good to know, but we're not physically ready. Natalie and Jake are the only two qualified enough to fight. There will be a fight."

Madge clenched her jaw at his lack of belief in her. "I _know_ that. I know that if we go down, we go down fighting."

Bran leaned forward, a slight smile tugging on his lip in response to her glare. "Well it's good to know that you're up to date with what you've signed on to. You start training tomorrow."

* * *

 **A/N: First of all, I'd like to apologise for updating sooo late. I think it's evident that I haven't written for two weeks in this chapter (self-doubt and A Levels got the best of me) but I do hope to update every Sunday from now on. I'd also like to thank you all for the lovely reviews coming my way. They really encourage me to write and are much appreciated. Thanks for reading :) x**


	7. Chapter 7

" _You son of a bitch."_

Gale blinked several times, staring blankly at the contents of the map laid out in front of him. The Nut. It had been five days and still nothing. He could hear Haymitch's words ring through his ears, as his hands clenched into fists; keeping the paper flat against the table.

" _She's out there because of you."_

He could feel the beads of sweat roll down his face, as he pulled on the neck of his shirt for some air. _Breathe,_ he thought.

" _She's out there because you hurt her. You pushed her too far. You ruined her."_

"No, no, no…" Gale repeated, leaning back and heaving for breath.

" _If you hadn't been such a selfish dick, then she wouldn't have gone."_

"No," Gale heaved, through short breaths. "She left because she wanted to help with the Revolution. She left because she wanted to make a difference."

" _She left because of you."_

Gale clasped his hands over his ears, digging his fingers into his scalp.

" _If she doesn't survive, then this is all your fault."_

Gale yelled out loud, grabbing hold of the nearest object to him, and hurling it at the wall. He watched in short pants, as the glass exploded into tiny smithereens.

"Hawthorne," a voice called from the door. Gale sighed, the rise and fall of his shoulders signalling his recline to even breaths. Turning around, he knew whose gray eyes he was going to meet. "You okay there?"

Gale stared at Haymitch, the guilt of his dreams transforming into something else. Denial, maybe? Confliction. It was easier not to feel at all, at this point. "Yeah," he sighed, walking towards the door. "I just need some time to myself," he said, shoving past Haymitch.

* * *

His feet ground against the cool, hard stone floor of District Thirteen. Their yellow lights flickered as he strode his way down the corridors towards the training room. It was late, and there was hardly going to be anyone there.

Letting the door slam behind him, he walked forward towards the weapons tray and carefully inspected the bow and arrows. He was going to need the best ones he could get. Five failed days of planning and time was running out for both Madge and Thom.

Gritting his teeth, he knocked an arrow, and drew in a breath as he drew the arrow back. With his eye on the target, he could feel the concentration and determination course through his veins. Letting go, he only unclenched when the arrow met the board.

It was a couple of inches away from bull's eye. Mediocre, at best.

"You know it's hard to make a perfect shot when your thoughts are clouded."

Gale clenched his jaw, his gaze not moving from the target. "And who says my thoughts are clouded?"

"Haymitch." Katniss said, making her way towards him.

"And when have you ever trusted his judgement?" Gale grumbled, turning around to face her. There was a storm behind his eyes, and she could see it.

"You'd be surprised," she frowned, pursing his lips. Gale observed her for a second. Her eyes were hollow and empty like a pit, and her skin had paled. She had lost so much here. Peeta's brainwashing seemed to be the final blow.

"You wouldn't understand," he said, before turning back around to face the board. This time he levelled his breaths and relaxed his fingers as he released.

Bull's eyes.

"Try me." He could hear Katniss sigh and retreat to the wall. "I know we're not the kind of people to talk about our emotions, but I think our friends need us to." Gale could feel his heart waver, as he gritted his teeth and moved onto the next arrow. "We need to talk about the Nut." Second arrow. "About Madge." Third arrow. "About what happened when I was gone." Fourth arrow. "About Unit 342." Fifth. Sixth. Seventh.

Until there were no more left.

His hands stung from the force of the bow, and he dropped to his knees; collapsing into a heap of emotion and pain. Sobs wracked his body, and he couldn't stop them know. "It's all my fault," he said, through phlegm and tears. "I did this to her. I was so confused about you and her and everything. I hurt her too much."

He could feel cool, calloused fingers snake wrap their way around his neck. Katniss crouched down beside him and raised his head to face her. "Maybe all we ever do is hurt people," she mumbled. "Maybe we deserve this. All the pain and heartache." Gale followed her eyes, as her chin wobbled and her own teared up. "Maybe that's why we don't deserve them. We don't deserve the good guys. Look what we do to them."

Gale's gaze flickered to the ground, as he swallowed down his phlegm. "But right now they need us. The both of us. They need us to get onto our feet whether we like it or not, and they need us to fight for them." Katniss pulled away from Gale, causing him to look her in the eye.

"We can spend all the time in the world wallowing over the mistakes we've made in the past, or we can focus on doing better in the future," her words came out in soft, sure whispers. "Our friends need us."

She reached forward and wrapped her hands over his. Holding his gaze, she said determinedly for the ones they loved.

"Together."

* * *

 **A/N: I think at some point the pressure would've gotten to Gale (especially with his friends lives at stake.) I like the fact that Katniss pulls him out of that, just as a friend. Their friendship was really special and I still want to pay tribute to that.**

 **(P.S. For those requesting for Madge's speech. Don't worry there is NO way I would leave that out. Patience is a virtue ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

The sound of bone cracking ripped the air. Madge was sent hurtling backwards, as the fist collided with her jaw. The impact of the force knocked the wind out of her lungs. "Get back on your feet," she could hear Natalie order in her head. Rolling to her side, Madge felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders and pin her to the ground. Slamming her back against the ground, a broken groan erupted from her throat, as her vision swarm around her. Lolling her head to the side, she could make out the nearing footsteps running towards her, guns at the ready.

"Hey, eyes on me Twelve," her attacker hissed, grabbing the sides of her face to face him. Madge squinted her eyes, as she could barely make out the features of her attacker. Blue eyed and red faced. "You think you can just storm into _my_ district and try to rally up my town to join the side of the Mockingjay? Huh?" he yelled, slamming her back against the ground. Madge tried to dig her nails into his arms, but they just seemed to encourage the arms tightening their way across her neck. "You want us to join the girl who killed my son? Left him to die with the mutts?"

Madge felt herself stiffen. Cato's dad. It all made sense now. The way he had charged at her, a warrior's cry erupting from his lungs, his hands ready to kill. But that didn't mean Madge was taking suffocation to be her exit way anytime soon. Scouring the ground around her, she felt for the cool metal of her dagger. "How dare you?" His hands were tightening around her throat. "How dare you?" She couldn't breathe. "How dare you?" She could just about feel the handle of something. "You're a-"

Plunging the dagger into his thigh, Madge heaved and gasped for air, as Cato's dad groaned through gritted teeth; flinging his hands off of her. She felt a weight lift off her, as Bran and Jake lifted him off of her. Rolling to the side, Madge spluttered for breath, as she felt Thom's arms wrap around her and heave her onto her feet.

"Do you have any idea what that's like, huh?" he yelled, thrashing against the clutches of Bran and Jake. Natalie had her gun trained on him now. "Do you know what that's like? To see your own flesh and blood be devoured by a pack of mutts on _national_ television?"

"Actually I do." Madge said, pushing forward away from Thom's clutches, trying to level her breaths. "My Aunt Maysilee was fed to a group of mutts just like your son was. She made it to the final five just like your son did. And she died just like your son did. A pack of squirrel mutts designed by the all mighty Capitol that you all place above your heads. Devoured her to pieces. Ripped her apart. Tore my mother's sanity apart, just like you're being torn apart now."

Madge was nearer to him now. His body had slackened and he was looking at Madge with what seemed to be a mixture of embarrassment and sympathy. "I didn't have the opportunity to meet my Aunt because the Capitol took her away. Snow took her away. _Our_ family may still be here if it isn't for these stupid Games where our friends, brothers, sisters, children are sentenced to death."

Madge could see the crowd gather behind them now. She raised her head a little, speaking to them all. "That's what Snow does. He rips us apart and tears our sanity to shreds. All the suffering, loss and death that surrounds us is because of Snow's regime. His ruthless tyranny will continue unless we voice our most basic right. Our right to survive as equals."

* * *

"You were slacking today." Natalie said, circling Madge as she checked her stance. "You weren't focused. Didn't even react fast enough to the man who tackled you."

Madge sighed as she held her feet firm on the ground. "Well I would've been more alert if it weren't for your early morning endless training and then late night sparring sessions. You've got me all burnt out."

"Excuses don't stop you from being dead." Natalie snapped.

"Last time I checked my safety was your job. I'm not the _only_ whose slacking." Madge smirked, quipping her brow.

"Don't get cocky with me. You're the one who asked to be trained," Natalie said, finding her place opposite Madge, ready to spar. "Besides the whole point of these training sessions are for you to be able to defend yourself. Defending yourself physically, involves you being alert mentally," she said, throwing a punch near Madge's face.

Madge blocked the punch with her arm, "Maybe my teacher isn't any good," she quipped. Natalie went into the direction of Madge's stomach, but ended up hooking her foot behind Madge's and swiping her onto the floor.

"Or maybe the student isn't any good," Natalie replied, with her brows raised. "Get up." Madge raised herself up, only to be slammed back down onto the ground during the process. Natalie had her arm pinned against Madge's throat, and suddenly Madge was back to being pinned onto the ground by Cato's dad.

"Stop," she whispered, but Natalie pushed harder. "Stop," she said again, louder this time and through heavy breaths.

"Fight back," Natalie ordered. "A Peacekeeper isn't going to stop just because you asked nicely."

Madge inhaled sharply and slammed her head against Natalie, causing her to recoil. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start. Scrambling to her feet, she grabbed hold of Natalie's arm and shoulder and slammed her against the wall. "IS this good enough for you?"

"Use the techniques I showed you. Go through them, in order," Natalie hissed, twisting her arm free and elbowing backwards into Madge's face. Madge groaned and stumbled backwards, feeling the hot blood spread from her nose. "Don't get distracted by the blood!" Natalie ordered, kicking her feet in Madge's direction.

Madge backed away, blocking Natalie's kicks and rolling to the side. She heard a gun cock, and looked up to see Natalie's gun aimed at her head. Well she sure had her attention now. With arms raised, Madge slowly got to her knees. There was a moment of surrender, before Madge lunged forward and grabbed Natalie by her middle, slamming her to the ground. The gun skidded across the ground, and Madge pinned her knee against Natalie's shoulder. "I think this is one of those situations where the student bested the master," Madge said, with a smirk on her face.

Natalie chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Don't be cocky."

* * *

"Was it true?" Jake asked, glancing at Madge. "What you said the other day?"

"About what?" Madge asked, squinting her eyes to shield them from the sun. They were on the move once again. Moving to their next location. Next village for her to inspire.

"About your Aunt?" he frowned, looking at the ground now.

"What, d'you think she'd make up something like that?" Thom snapped beside her. Madge pursed her lips as Jake sighed, shaking his head.

"It's not that foreign a concept. Propos do it sometimes, to paint the better picture." Madge felt something drop in her stomach, unease spreading through her.

"Those are bold accusations." Bran said, from the front of the line.

"Well he's not wrong," Natalie replied with equal certainty, behind them.

A moment's silence passed through them, as they continued to walk in line of each other. "Yes." Madge said, looking back at Jake.

"Oh," he said, lowering his voice and his gaze to the ground. Madge could sense his shame and discomfort; quickly quipping up to say, "But I'm not the only one to suffer at the hands of the Capitol."

A few grunts passed through the team, and Madge hesitated before speaking again. "The Mockingjay pin was hers. Passed down to her living doppelganger. And I passed onto Katniss. From one tribute to another."

The air felt heavy and she could see everyone nod around her, processing the information. "She inspired a revolution," Natalie said, her voice thick with respect. Madge nodded a little, coming to a stop as Bran turned around to her face.

"Alright, you're up, Princess." Bran sighed. "Win them over."

* * *

"Death doesn't have favourites. It infects us all. Privileged or not." Madge said, her head held high, trying address them all. As time went on the villages turned into towns, and the towns turned into more privileged towns. She knew how to tackle this crowd. "Trust me, I know. The Capitol dropped bombs on our districts. Tried to wipe us all out. And my father's house was the first house to go. Mayor's house. A member of the government. The most privileged out of the district. Decimated into flames."

She could feel her voice waver, as she spoke of her parents' death. Not today. She couldn't crack today. Biting on her lip, she held her breath as she could see unease and trepidation flicker through the crowds. "Snow doesn't have favourites. He won't favour you just because you're higher up. He'll destroy anyone who'll pose a threat to him."

"You just said it yourself. If we rebel we end up dead," a man said, from the middle of the crowd, his arms crossed over his chest.

Madge pursed her lips and sighed. "Either way at the end of it all, we're going to end up dead. Strewn into another vicious Hunger Games if the Capitol wins. Where we hand our children over to death. The Games themselves are evidence that death spares no one."

"Or we can die trying to make a difference. Trying to survive. Trying to make sure that our next generation never have to live the horrors we have witnessed. A future where the safety of our childhood isn't placed in the hands of an _entertainment_ show."

She heard a few murmurs pass through the crowd that had accumulated in front of her. Some of them nodding their heads in agreement. "Like our lives can be trivialised and reduced into some form of entertainment for others. Where they gamble with our lives through their sponsors and publicity stunts."

There were more firm, audible yells of agreement now. Arms raised and claps spreading through the crowd. "I say no more of that! We are human beings. Our lives have value and purpose and no one can take that away from us."

A sense of unity flared throughout the crowd, as they cheered and agreed in unison, moving forward towards Madge. She felt adrenaline course through her as they circled her, like a stampede of supporters. She glanced at Bran who shook his head at her. _It's not safe._

Madge didn't care though. These people trusted her. These people listened to her. These people wanted change like her. So she took a step forward into their clutches. Into their embrace.

And that's when the first shot fired.

* * *

 **A/N: I know some asked for Madge's speeches, and as promised here it is. Let me know what you think :)**

 **P.S. You can also find me on tumblr under 'biglittlebluebox'**


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